KIDMAN STATION / AUSTRALIAN OR NOT ?

At what stage does such a large parcel of Australian Land not become a fair and open playing field for Australians to purchase, or at least enter a bid on?  The Australian iconic “Kidman Station” with its historic parcel of strategic land and industry looks like it will be one third sold to Chinese investors. In reality that’s over 3.3 million hectares of Australia sold yet again to overseas investors.

Kidman Station spanning over four states of Australia and massing some 10.1 million hectares including the political parcel’s of land at Anna Creek and The Peake Stations in South Australia which have been earmarked to be separated from the entire Kidman Station package because of political home land security sensitivity with a Chinese buyer being involved within the Gina Rhinehart Bid.

Our company “Still Call Australia Home Pty Ltd.” Is made up of five Australians Directors with Farming and Primary Industry holdings and experience, we are all very passionate for our great land and are trying to enter the purchasing arena for Kidman Station.

So far there has been sincere interest from leading cattle stakeholders from within Australia, yet like the other Australian companies we have found ourselves not being able to gain financials and / or inspections and being locked out of the due diligence process in order to place a bid. Transparency is not forthcoming, why?

Our concerns are that if our Politicians allow even one third of Chinese ownership of Kidman Station what then stops intercompany share transfers  and/or side agreements to the Chinese investor for a larger stake of ownership in the future. Not just in the Kidman Station deal but all companies with overseas investor interest operating in Australia.

When a broader view of Chinese agricultural acquisitions are looked at throughout New Zealand and Australia surely a pattern is emerging that should indeed set some alarm bells ringing. Do we really want to purchase produce from China, which is home grown in Australia? Look at our Port of Darwin now owned by Chinese interests, our prime agricultural land and so the list keeps growing.

We keep hearing the hype from Government in limiting or eliminating the sale of Australian assets, though it seems very little action is forthcoming, so lets see if the Kidman Station $365 million sale to Ms. Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting and Shanghai CRED passes through our FIRB regulations.

Despite emails and phone calls to our Treasurer Scott Morrison with no response to date, also to other politicians it seems apparent that the deal has been made despite the pleas for communication and information.

Fellow Australians, don’t give up the fight to secure our country’s assets for now and our duty to our future generations to enjoy and prosper with nothing more than the blood, sweat, tears and integrity that have bought us all this far, and need to continue to build this great nation we all call home.

 Let us forever hold our Australian head’s very proud and tall indeed.